In 2003, Bart Millard still mourning his father’s recent death, penned the lyrics for “I Can Only Imagine,” a song that would go on to be the most-played song in the history of Christian radio.
Can you imagine what heaven is going to be like?
There are lots of different views of heaven out there. A couple of decades ago a cottage industry developed, selling stories of those who said they had been to heaven while on death’s doorstep. We’re told of bright lights, lives re-played, and a warm glow. Others might daydream of harps and clouds, when asked to imagine heaven.
It all seems pretty harmless, really. What are the consequences of getting our view of heaven wrong? Especially when we can’t possibly know who is correct. Right?
But what if there are consequences to the way we perceive the afterlife? What would those be?
Let’s acknowledge that the Bible, not first-hand accounts, ought to be what frames our vision of heaven. What does the Bible say about heaven? Then, we will ask what that means for our lives now.
Heaven is not just heaven. Many Christians have been influenced by the Platonic notion that the afterlife is non-material. Heaven, for some, is understood as a purely spiritual destination. However, in scripture we are told that the eternal life of the saints is lived not just in heaven, but in “the new heavens and the new earth” (See Is 65:17, Is 66:22, and 2 Pet 3:13). Heaven is not a dreamlike state or merely spiritual, heaven is physical.
We will have bodies. Jesus Christ is “the firstborn of all creation” (Col 1:15). His resurrection from the dead ushers in a new era where God has conquered death. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul devotes a whole chapter declaring the universe transforming reality of Jesus’ resurrection. He explains that Jesus’ bodily resurrection means we will be resurrected in his likeness. “Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven” (1 Cor 15:48).
We will learn in heaven. In Ephesians 2:6-7, Paul gives us a glimpse of heaven that includes God’s continued revelation of his glory to us. Paul says that God has “raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” How much fun is that? Heaven will be an invitation to an unending tour of God’s breathtaking, grace-filled new creation. America’s greatest theologian Jonathan Edwards rejoiced in the progressive increase of our knowledge in heaven, “The number of ideas of the saints shall increase to eternity.”[i]
We will work in heaven. We were made for work. In Genesis 1:26, God says, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” The first way that God says he intends for us to image him is through our dominion and stewardship of God’s world. We do not work because of the Fall. Our work has been damaged, twisted, and made difficult because of the Fall. Work won’t go away in heaven; it will be redeemed. In heaven work will be purposeful and meaningful.
We will rule. Part of the dominion God created us for is not just working, but ruling. We will rule in heaven. Paul explains to the church at Corinth that we will judge the earth and even angels (1 Cor 6:2-3)!
We will party in heaven. I hope you enjoy a great party, because heaven will be the ultimate party: full of fun, laughter, singing, and incredible food. Isaiah offers us this snapshot of the party in 25:6, “On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine – the best of meats and the finest of wines.”
We will have the best friends in heaven. We will be part of a perfect community. In Colossians 3:15, Paul exhorts the church, “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” The calling of Christ is an invitation to his peace. That shalom will be perfect in heaven. The disappointments and hurts of apathy, callousness, gossip, lies, cliques, rejection, and betrayal will be wiped away and an ideal, joyous community will remain.
Heaven and Today
What does this mean for our life now? In short, if we believe in a more popular conception of heaven, we will care much less about our lives here. We will focus on holding our breath to get through this life and emerge on the other side. Our worldview will lead us to look past many of our responsibilities here (work, caring for our bodies and the earth) with an eye toward heaven.
If, on the other hand, we believe in the new heavens and the new earth and not merely heaven, then we will see much more value in our lives today. Caring for our responsibilities today is preparation to have dominion over the new heavens and the new earth for all eternity. We can say the same thing about our bodies. How we care for our bodies now matters if we believe in a bodily resurrection. Curiosity isn’t wasteful; it’s eternal! Our work has meaning that echoes into the new resurrection life. Fun isn’t just for now; it’s forever! And our investment in relationships lasts into the new world.
[i] Jonathan Edwards, The Works of Jonathan Edwards, vol. 13, 483. Quoted in Alcorn, Heaven, 319.
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Photo by Qingbao Meng on Unsplash
Tagged: mourning, death, Heaven, Bart Millard, Can you imagine what heaven will be like?, will we have bodies in heaven?, Will we work in Heaven?, Will we remember our life in heaven?, will we learn in heaven?
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